Need Help with my sprout please!

Ok - I'm a noob.... I have never tried to grow anything in my life!
But I'm desperately trying to save my poor baby sprout - If it's not already too
late! :'( I will try to be brief, I've tried posting this twice with no results.
It suddenly says I'm not logged in... anyway...
I've done alot of research online as well as talked with people who grow and
thought I had a pretty good grasp - but apparently I've been getting some bad info
or something. Found your website and it seems that I have possibly made many
mistakes from the beginning and despite all that, these seedlings have been
fighting to begin their new life!
I'm hoping that someone here can HELP me -- because now I'm so confused!!
One site says to plant the seed so the pointed end is down in the soil....another
site says to plant it so the pointed end is up...and my "helpers" at the time of
planting say, "Just drop em in there, they'll grow upward!" So, I dropped em in
and hoped for the best! (Read next post...)
I placed two seeds (unknown strain) into wet paper towels and placed them in a
closed container. It took about 3 days when one of the seeds took right off. It had
a really long taproot...the other seed hadn't done anything, but I planted them
both at the same time anyway into a small greenhouse type grow tray/box and placed
them in my growroom under the lights.
I followed directions from another site for my soil mix - making sure to get the PH
level to 6.5 as it stated to. My mix is:
Miracle Grow Potting Soil w/nutrients 50%
Screened Top Soil 30%
Sand 5%
Muck (Bio- char) 5%
Peet Moss 5%
Perlite 5%
The lights I'm working with right now are called "Jump Start" High Output T5 light
kit....18 hrs on - 6 off.
By the end of the first day in the soil the seedling had already broke the soil!
The little sprout seemed to be doing very well at first - but looked a little
strange compared to the picture I was looking at.... It seems maybe the seed
cracked wrong or something because the sprout and seed had pushed it's way up to
the top of the soil and the root looked very snake like. I kept a close eye on it
all day long.
The site I was following directions from, said that once I saw the first two leaves
pop out that it was time to remove the dome and make sure it had air circulation
and ventilation -- so I removed the dome. (BTW- My room temp remains between 70-85%
and the humidity between 47-65%) It seemed as the day went on my poor sprout
wasn't looking too healthy...and getting pretty droopy. So I did some more research
and reading and then after studying my sprout a little more, noticed that the shell
casing was stuck/attached to the bottom of the sprout and so as carefully as I
could, I removed the shell and gently put the root down in the dirt - gently
propped up my sprout and hoped for the best!
I also put the dome back on overnight.
When I checked on the sprout this morning, it was standing up all by itself away
from where I had propped it! I thought this was a promising sign and I got excited!
But as the day progressed the two leaves do not seem to want to open - they were
closed together kind of. I checked them a few minutes ago and the two leaves are
practically gone...dried or shriveled or something - but it is still standing and
the stem still appears strong.
Is there anyway to save this poor thing or is it a lost cause???
Thanks for your reading my book... lol and for any replies!

hard to tell without pics but it might be bad genetics. the one that would not open might need you to pull the "film" off. can you post pics?

cacamal said:

hard to tell without pics but it might be bad genetics. the one that would not open might need you to pull the "film" off. can you post pics?

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I should be able to - although it's not much to look at.

Can you give me a few minutes?? Thanks so much for your help

Ok - These are the best out of all i took - It's pretty tiny!
Also - I had the soil mix listing wrong below -- I edited my original post but I'll post it here to...
Miracle Gro Potting Soil w/nutrients 50%
Screened top Soil 30%
Sand 5%
Muck 5%
Perlite 5%
Peet Moss 5%

even though Miracle-Gro isnt my first choice it is capable of holding a plant with out the extra stuff you added, plus the 5% of muck.

LOL!! That was a recommendation! They said it was supposed to be awesome stuff for gardens!

But, like I said - I've never grown anything before, so I don't know much about anything.
The Miracle Gro was recommended from a site I was getting my directions on growing from.

Have you ever flowered any plants from seed?? I read that in a different thread in the Forums - It's the first time I've heard of it.... ?

Miracle grow soil is pretty hot for starting seeds. That might be why the cotyl leaves are shriveling up. Your soil looks very wet too. You want to let it dry out a little. You want your tap root to dig deep in search of water. Moist is ok but your soil looks pretty compact and waterlogged, even with the perlite in there. I think it might be the "muck" you mixed in there..


Don't water it anymore untill the top of the soil is dry and keep an eye on it. It might still take off.

stumpjumper said:

Miracle grow soil is pretty hot for starting seeds. That might be why the cotyl leaves are shriveling up. Your soil looks very wet too. You want to let it dry out a little. You want your tap root to dig deep in search of water. Moist is ok but your soil looks pretty compact and waterlogged, even with the perlite in there. I think it might be the "muck" you mixed in there..


Don't water it anymore untill the top of the soil is dry and keep an eye on it. It might still take off.

Click to expand...

So I am just now learning! Miracle Gro = Bad!!
I'm in a fairly remote area and I don't really have alot of selection for Potting Soil and nutrients. I would probably have to travel an hour or two but could you or someone please give me a "recipe" for a soil mix?? So when I start again... I won't use the Miracle Gro, but I'll have to drive to get supplies.
I have access to screened topsoil that comes from land that used to have a large garden...
Could I get some of this to use and if so, what would I mix in it to be sure my plant is getting the right nutrients??

stumpjumper said:

I think it might be the "muck" you mixed in there..

Click to expand...

The "Muck" was recommended... the guy said it was "Bio-char" and it was supposed to be awesome for gardens....

Hmmm I just do not know whether to cry or sing a song.

I am sorry mr blue that you have begun the journey without a torch. I am glad you wish to grow am sad to see you start off in such a way. I will not be a big help to your seedlings but I can offer you a name of a book that will tell you the facts so that you no longer stumble in the dark. The book was written by a guy named mel frank his title was something like "marijuanas growers guide"

You will have the same effect if you attempt to fly a plane without first reading the directions of how to fly a plane, as to how your grow is gonna turn out. Hmmm Do not jump into the middle of a lake until you know how to swim?

You have helpers? Seems to me like they are helping no one. Good luck dude and have no fear I am not just direct with you. I am direct with all the user names.

Try doing a site search on soils. There's a bunch of threads. You can use miracle grow soil once the plant gets a few sets of leaves and starts needing nutrients. It's just too hot for seedlings and really not that great for growing marijuana.


For starting seeds, I would use what you have mixed together minus the "muck" and Miracle grow Soil and use the peat very sparingly imo.

So mix your topsoil, sand, perilite and a little bit of peat so it is a nice airy mixture and it will be a great seed starter.

Thanks!! I will try that!!

So then, how crucial is it that the soil remain at a PH of 6.5? Should I be testing your suggested mix and if not at 6.5 - then add whatever is necessary to reach that PH?

BluBerri said:

Thanks!! I will try that!!

So then, how crucial is it that the soil remain at a PH of 6.5? Should I be testing your suggested mix and if not at 6.5 - then add whatever is necessary to reach that PH?

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Necessary, I will not say one way or the other. Lots of research says yes it is, however I've had plants do very well under less than ideal conditions, including wacky PH. It's probably in your best interests though.

Id start it in rapid rooter or other seedling media.. direct to soil is probably too hot.

Just wanted to update - Haven't given up on my babies -- they seem to be doing okay atm. Thanks for your replies!! I need all the help I can get!! lol

Well, the sprouts didn't make it.
Just made too many mistakes -- and even after all the research and reading I did before starting -- I didn't have a clue...
At least that's what I discovered after visiting here anyway...lol

Thanks to all of you helpful people at RIU!!

Well you learned something anyways.... Better luck next time!!

You should be posting this in the Noob section as this is an old topic. However since you are here and so am I. A seed has its nutrients in it's shell for the first couple of weeks. Natures design. When you put a tender baby sprout in Hot soil or full of nutes it will do as a newborn would do on solids. Use Pete moss or suretogrow starters pucks. They are essentially pete moss at 5 PH which is what roots thrive in. When the starter is about 3 weeks old you will take that plug and put into regular potting soil. NO FOOD NEEDED! TOO HOT! after a month is when you feed them. Miracle Grow works fine until you become some kind of over compulsive guru etc... MG for potted plants has it all. This will give you a month to research with the search bar and your topic or troubleshoot instead of the same over and over thread, poss. in the wrong area.
One other thing by starting your seed in a paper towel fine but do not expose the root to sunlight and be very tender like the inside of your penis.

Bro you shouldn't use miracle grow. . . .. . . . when you first start your babies out your going to want to use anything else. Miracle grow has some ingedients in it that are actually poisonous to Bud plants i'll be on this forum more often since i just moved here about 2 weeks from hawaii